1 Samuel 15

Saul’s Disobedience

1Then Samuel said to Saul, “1The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the 2words of the Lord. 2Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will 3punish Amalek 4for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. 3Now go and strike Amalek and 5utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but 6put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

4Then Saul summoned the people and 7numbered them in 8Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. 6Saul said to 9the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for 10you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7So 11Saul 12defeated the Amalekites, from 13Havilah as you go to 14Shur, which is 15east of Egypt. 8He captured 16Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and 17utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9But Saul and the people 18spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Samuel Rebukes Saul

10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11“19I regret that I have made Saul king, for 20he has turned back from 21following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and 22cried out to the Lord all night. 12Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to 23Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on 24down to 25Gilgal.” 13Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “26Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14But Samuel said, “27What then is this 28bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the 29lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for 30the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

17Samuel said, “Is it not true, 31though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18and the Lord sent you on a 32mission, and said, ‘33Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ 19Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, 34but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

20Then Saul said to Samuel, “35I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the 36mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21But 37the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22Samuel said, “38Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, 39to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as the sin of 40divination, And insubordination is as 41iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, 42He has also rejected you from being king.”

24Then Saul said to Samuel, “43I have sinned; 44I have indeed transgressed the 45command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25Now therefore, 46please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” 26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for 47you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27As Samuel turned to go, 48Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28So Samuel said to him, “49The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29Also the 5051Glory of Israel 52will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 30Then he said, “I have sinned; 53but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, 54that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

32Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him 55cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33But Samuel said, “56As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

34Then Samuel went to 57Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at 58Gibeah of Saul. 3559Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel 60grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.